Some online merchants make available codes which may be redeemed for value. Often, a code may be entered by a user into a field shown on a page on an online merchant's site (e.g., the “shopping cart” or “checkout” page) to be redeemed for value. A user who redeems a code may receive, for example, a reward, a promotional offer, a discount (e.g., of a percentage of their purchase), a gift card (e.g., for later use), free shipping, and/or some other form of value.
Some online merchants make codes available to users for free, to provide an incentive for users to shop at their site instead of other online merchant sites. Other online merchants offer codes for sale to users. For example, group buying sites enable groups of users who each agree to purchase a particular product to buy it at a discount, and often provide a code to each purchaser to redeem to complete the purchase at the specified discount.
A code typically consists of a sequence of letters and/or numbers, although it may include any character type(s), including one or more binary characters. A code may be a unique string (e.g., associated with a particular user), and may be usable once or multiple times (e.g., a code may be usable only once by each of a group of users). A code may have information associated therewith, such as an expiration date for an associated discount or promotional offer, terms, and/or other information.